Top 60 japanese words/phrases for 2009

60. History girls [reki-jo - 歴女]: Japanese history — particularly that of the Warring States period (mid-15th to early 17th century) — has become a hot topic among many young women in Japan. Called reki-jo (history girls), these newfangled history buffs are reportedly flocking to important historical landmarks and buying up history books, magazines, and samurai-themed knickknacks.

I have some time to wait before I head out for my flight today (business travel), so kind of daydreaming and thinking. Sad that I will be away from my comfortable routines for a week... moreso that it will take me a bit offline and distant. I have plans for phone calls to some people to stay in touch, which should help.

My mind lately is awash in the warm fuzzies of new relationships. Feeling really fortunate for how things are working out. Also, reflecting on how the years have changed me. deaconobvious saw me at the very beginning of my first year at IMSA, and thus saw me while I was still really shy and uncertain... many of my other friends/partners only met me later, after I'd gained confidence. I always felt like that quieter/shy part of me got left behind because no one else who knows me now, knew me that way years ago. So it was an interesting discovery that he remembered bits of that. I was so very quiet back then. I had no idea how much possibility and strength was locked up inside me, waiting for the right conditions to grow.

I've spent a lot of time in ritual work trying to reconnect with and reclaim bits of who I used to be; not the powerlessness and fear, but the simple innocence and emotionality. For years I wanted to see myself reflected in another's eyes. Known for who I was behind the fears. I have a large part of that, now, and more coming as I set up opportunities for it. Healing work runs deep back over the years.

Sometimes I wonder about writing the stories of my grade school days, the ways I remember them. All the pain, all the struggle, all the tiny buds of hope that poked through in spite of it. I couldn't do justice to the other characters in the stories, but maybe that doesn't matter. My writing would be for others to understand me; the rest is just circumstances. And then I wonder, would it really turn up anything my friends don't already know? I live so openly anymore. I don't know; maybe I will write, someday, and give that little girl more voice. Who knows what impact my stories might have. Meanwhile, loving relationships are bringing healing even without the stories; it's amazing what acceptance and trust can do.


Life has changed so much. Never as a child would I have dreamed I'd be doing this well in my career, surrounded by wonderful friends, deeply in love with multiple awesome people. The contrast is stunning between now and where I came from. For that reason alone I sometimes think about writing the past. Just to play with the contrast.


It's a gray wet November over here, the kind of day where reality pauses and time freezes, just for a day; no wind, no leaves stirring, no rain. Just soggy earth and stillness. Waiting.

well...havent written very much here these days...

usually just using this as a link blog...to one extent or another.

not even sure how many of you out there take time to glance here or do you zoom by on the way to other things on your feed list?

its been a heck of a year with all sorts of interesting and unexpected things going on.
good and bad.

i feel closer to some...and i feel ive lost some good friends too.

the drama never seems to end i guess...part of life it seems.

i really wish i could code my own biology to work better...
or at least clue me in to what it needs sans expensive test results.

the future is taking its damn sweet time to get here...
isolating as it does to specific regions of the world before
it becomes boringly mundane as it seeps into the mainstream.

i dont know whats going to happen near term...
i know what i want to happen long term...
its the middle part between that is stubbornly unforeseeable.

anyway...

hope everyone has a good week...
try not to die ok?

Here's what I've posted to Twitter over the past 24 hours:

• 14:24 Breaking my 10-day quarantine by going to see my favorite musical "City of Angels". I'm disappointed at the lack of hovercars in my absence. #

Aggregated by LoudTwitter

• 19:11 I need to be typing up a quiz for tomorrow, but I'm allowing myself to become distracted. As usual. #
• 19:20 apparently the Nike+ web site is no longer automatically posting my data to Twitter. Which is fine, I've been REALLY slow the past 3 days. #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

ryan's tweets of the day:

• 20:06 Is there any earthly reason I still type two spaces in between sentences? Seriously. #

The Waltz Minutia:

• 21:36 is thumbnailing a special project!

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http://moblog.net/view/914013/one-last-shot-of-the-lab

In the middle of finding a way out of Born Slippy here...it was tough!

http://moblog.net/view/914012/two-tracks-in

Snapped this one while both tracks were up, don't know if you can tell!

http://moblog.net/view/914010/rockin-the-turntables

I'll probably use some of these photos when I re-launch PlasticBohemia.com...

http://moblog.net/view/914008/the-laboratory

I haven't named my little plant friend yet. Any suggestions?

http://moblog.net/view/914007/round-and-around

It's okay, don't be afraid to touch.

http://moblog.net/view/914006/on-the-wheels-of-steel

The second week of my weekly mix sessions...feels fabulous to be behind the decks again.

http://moblog.net/view/913994/beautiful-sunset-across-my-patio

It's red and crimson and violet across the horizon tonight. Sitting out with a cup of tea. Anyone care to join me?

Test-drove Honda's Fit & Insight. Loved the Fit. Did not like the Insight. The Fit, fit.